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23andMe: Conflict of Interest and Crappy Advice

23andMe, the genetic testing company, sent me a new report saying I have a 64% chance of developing diabetes based on my genetics. Having at least three diabetic grandparents and hypoglycemia from the time I was a kid, I already figured I was a case of diabetes waiting to happen if I didn't take precautions. If I followed 23andMe's crappy advice, I'd probably become one of those cases. GlaxoSmithKline, maker of the diabetes drug Avandia , owns a $300 million share of 23andMe . Some of 23andMe's advice for avoiding diabetes is good--avoid added sugars, refined flour and potatoes. Thanks to the work of journalists, bloggers, podcasters, and a few renegade doctors and researchers who attacked the low-fat orthodoxy, they have to throw that in now to avoid losing all credibility. But their advice on what to eat instead isn't very helpful for filling you up and keeping you from snacking on foods with flour and sugar: Fruit can be very high in sugar; beans are mo

Scared Straight

Over the past few months, my stomach is feeling a lot better and I think it's thanks to low-carb lattes I've been having for breakfast. Plus a lot of Pepto-Bismol. Doing a little research, it turns out that all the ingredients in the latte (coconut milk, cocoa powder, peppermint extract, and even coffee) are antibacterial. So is Pepto-Bismol. I've also been avoiding high-FODMAPS foods that cause bloating. So I think my problem was SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) after taking too many probiotics...and maybe some carb creep. Something felt off. I was tired, I'd gained a few pounds, and felt puffy. I got a new blood glucose meter and tested my fasting and post breakfast levels (breakfast being bacon, eggs, two lattes and some dried seasoned tomatoes). That was about 18 grams of carbohydrate. My blood sugar went from 91 to 146. Not good! After two hours, it went to 109 and stayed around there for the next four and a half hours, when I stopped taking readings

The Healthy Japanese: Starchy Diet or Annual Physicals?

Some people are still trotting out the old "Japanese are healthy because of their starchy diet" chestnut.  There are a lot of differences between Japanese and American diets and cultures. One I hadn't heard of until recently was annual physicals for Japanese citizens and ex-pats 30 and over living in Japan. The checkups are free--employers are required to provide them. Those without a regular employer can go through their city office. The results of these physicals are shared with your employer, who can tell you to shape up or ship out (or pass you over for promotions). With this in mind, many Japanese go on an annual "cleanse" to prepare for their physical. "They do things such as eliminating fried foods and alcohol, and pay close attention to getting more sleep, usually for a month or so beforehand," says ex-pat Jessica Korteman. A lot of Americans likewise make New Year's resolutions to diet and exercise--but we have a lot less skin in the

What Happened to the ADA Guidelines to Eat Lots of Carbs?

Awhile back, I was looking at the ADA website (American Diabetes Association) to see their carb recommendations. Oddly, I couldn't find any. No, I didn't imagine having seen dietary recommendations designed to keep diabetics sick and the organization's  medication and sugar sponsors in the clover--they changed their page in August 2017. Here's the old page  via the Wayback Machine from June 2017, recommending 45-60 grams of carbohydrate or even more per meal: Look at the list of junk food on their site from 2017: So how much carbohydrate do they say diabetics should eat? Figure it out yourself! The ADA is a bunch of narcissistic assholes for ever recommending that diabetics--people with a disease of carbohydrate intolerance--eat a baked potato, or a cup of pasta or cake or ice cream at every meal . Don't expect them to ever admit they were wrong. 

Three LC Movies You Should Watch

Fat Head Kids: Stuff About Diet and Health I Wish I Knew when I was Your Age by Tom Naughton. Written for older kids, but has information that will probably be new to a lot of adults. It uses a spaceship as a metaphor for the human body and programming as a metaphor for personal metabolism. Drs. William Davis, Richard Feinman, Ann Childers, John Briffa, Michael Eades, Andreas Eenfeldt, Michael Fox, Dwight Lundell, Robert Lustig and Eric Westman provide interviews through the movie. Love Paleo. This movie was released in 2015, but I hadn't heard about it until recently. Several people--including Dr. John Briffa, discuss the major health improvements they've seen on a paleo diet and why it works.  What's with Wheat? Regular readers already know that wheat in its current form is genetically very different from what it was a few decades ago. What they might not know is that monocrop agriculture  isn't good for the environment, that wheat has glyphos

Be a Vegan and Save the World?

The Lancet has come out with a new report saying "Repent! The End is Near!" These days, that means someone wants you to live on grains, beans, nuts and vegetation to save your health and civilization itself; coming to Jesus for salvation would be absurd to them. But there are flies in the ointment that only a bunch of academics could fail to observe: After being goaded for decades to move towards such a diet, people in developed countries are fatter and more diabetic than ever.  Growing these crops destroys natural habitats, uses fertilizer that depends on fossil fuels, and requires pesticides (even if organically grown).  Much of the land on earth is unsuitable for growing anything but livestock.  Such a diet is nutrient-poor and completely unsuitable for many people. The poorest countries tend to have frequent fighting and ((#%(@!#y governments, not citizens who are oddly unable to figure out what to eat.  Bison, deer, elk, antelope and other game used to roam

23andMe Signs Agreement with Big Pharma, Offers Health App

GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world's largest drug makers, recently bought a $300 million stake in 23 and Me, a genetic testing company . The two also signed an agreement giving GlaxoSmithKline exclusive rights to customer data. The data is de-identified, aggregate customer information. 23andMe recently rolled out Lark, an health app specially geared to your genetics. I was curious what kind of diet advice Lark gave, since 23andMe advised me a year or so ago to limit saturated fat . Here's a screen grab from their video suggesting the new app is programmed with diet advice from the 90s: " Lark Chat: Personal Weight Loss Coach & 24-Hour Nutritionist " by ourLark on Youtube.  Uploaded April 27, 2015. Think about it, though--why SHOULD a company with a relationship to big pharma tell you to put down the bread when doing so may reduce your need for beta blockers (which lower blood pressure), nasal steroids and bronchial drugs, all of which GlaxoSmithKline m